


He's Just a Lost Boy Waiting to Be Found

by marchtwentyfour



Category: GOT7
Genre: Hybrids, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-18 23:25:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5947300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marchtwentyfour/pseuds/marchtwentyfour
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaebum is a cat person so that doesn't explain why he took the abandoned dog hybrid he found under his roof.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's Just a Lost Boy Waiting to Be Found

**Author's Note:**

> The first fic for my 7 fics for my 7 otp Valentines Project. This one is dedicated to @winterspIash in Twitter, one of the biggest 2jae fans I know. I hope you enjoy!

Jaebum is a cat person. He used to have a cat named Nora that he had taken care of for  _ years  _ until he had to move to the City and no apartment allowed pets. So he had to begrudgingly leave her at the hands of his mother. When he feels horrible and as if the whole world is against him, he opens his phone to look at the thousand of photos he has of her or stare at the picture frames of the two of them he hung in his measly apartment.

So, yes, Jaebum is as cat person as anyone could ever be.

Except.

“Are you sure you don’t want an extra blanket?” Jaebum was clutching on an extra blanket he kept, standing over his couch and looking down at the boy curled up. When all he got was a soft yelp, he laid the blanket on the table. “It’s here if you need extra covers, alright?”

“Thank you, master!” Youngjae was the boy’s name, lying down on the couch curled up against himself and yet looking so… big. No, bright. His presence was too much for Jaebum’s small apartment.

He shook his head, feeling a headache forming. “How many times have I told you not to call me  _ master _ , Youngjae? Just Jaebum hyung is enough.” he explained, but he really needed to go to sleep and not spend the next thirty minutes explaining to Youngjae about manners. “Anyway I’ll go to sleep now. Just knock on my door if you needed anything, okay?”

Youngjae nodded his head and yawned in between, looking cute as his ears twitched with his action. It made Jaebum want to go over and rub the back of the boy’s ear, see if he could make him purr.

“Goodnight, master,” the boy said brightly again, already drifting off to sleep.

Knowing a losing battle, at least for now, Jaebum walked back to his room and turned off the lights of the living room on his way. He took one last glance at the dark room before entering his brightly lit one. He really needed some well deserved sleep.

 

Waking up to a warm body was nothing new to Jaebum, having gotten used to numerous one night stands where he’s usually the first one up and is therefore the first one to leave the bed. But he was pretty sure yesterday was not Friday nor a Saturday so he couldn’t have taken someone home with him. So he opened his eyes to check.

_ Oh _ .

Definitely not a hook-up.

“Youngjae,” Jaebum’s voice was hoarse from sleep and his throat feels parched. Also, he needs to pee. When he got no response, he tried crawling away from the kid, at first gently but then soon harder because Youngjae’s hold was too tight. After a few minutes with a less than impressive escape, Jaebum is finally standing in his bathroom to relieve himself.

What a luck to find a hybrid with a just as worse sleeping habit as he has.

And yes, that was what Youngjae was. Youngjae was a dog hybrid, of what exactly, Jaebum has no idea because he had 0 interests in dogs and therefore did not pay attention. So Jaebum had taken home a dog hybrid he found sleeping on the doorstep leading up to his apartment, the road completely empty except for the shaking form of the boy sleeping on the what must have been cold cement.

Jaebum was a goner the moment he saw the boy look up at him with his pretty eyelashes and puffy red cheeks from crying. So even if Jaebum does not like dogs (more like  _ hate _ ), he found himself shaking the boy and asking if he wanted a roof over his head and maybe some dry clothes.

“Master? Master?” Youngjae’s voice echoed from the other side of the door, sounding panicked and scared that Jaebum was reminded to ask. 

Why was a hybrid sleeping outside? There was a law passed that owners of hybrids are not allowed to be left alone outside their houses. It was both for the safety of the hybrid and the safety of anyone else, seeing as the law was made because a hybrid became rabid and attacked someone. Still.

After washing his hand, Jaebum exits the bathroom and was immediately welcomed by the sight of Youngjae sitting on the bed with his eyes and nose red. He must’ve been crying.

Jaebum wasn’t  _ that  _ mean nor was he heartless. So he walks carefully to the boy and reaches over to pat his head. “Hey,” he kept his voice soft and  as comforting as he could. “Why are you crying Youngjae-ah?”

Wiping his nose on the sleeves of his shirt (the one that Jaebum lent him), he whimpered before answering. “I’m sorry, Master. I didn’t mean to. I just… I thought…” he looked around, suddenly twitchy as if he was afraid. “I thought you left me.”

Shaking his head, Jaebum realized that Youngjae wasn’t even supposed to be in his room as he left him on the couch last night. That was probably not a good thing to say in this situation, so he just rubbed the back of the boy’s ear and  _ yes _ , Youngjae did end up purring.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jaebum assured him and that was true seeing as this was his apartment. Probably also not a good thing to say in this situation, especially since he has a dog hybrid purring because of his fingertips. “Do you want to tell me why you were sleeping outside last night?”

Sadly, this only caused Youngjae to sob some more and bury his face and hands on Jaebum’s own shirt.

 

An hour later, Youngjae was sprawled on the couch with Jaebum’s weekly ice cream tub on his hands as he watched a replay of Running Man on the television. Jaebum was on the floor, books scattered in front of him, trying to study for his exam later in the afternoon. It’s not working, all his mind is occupied with is the boy currently devouring his ice cream.

Berating himself for being distracted, Jaebum almost slams his head on the floor when he bent down to write on his notebook. He concentrated on the notes spread out in front of him, reminding himself that this exam could  _ break  _ his scholarship. That did the job.

 

“Don’t open the doors to strangers, alright? I have a key so I won’t knock.” Jaebum repeated for the nth time, already putting on his shoes by the door. He stood up and checked his pocket for his phone and keys before looking at Youngjae straight in the eye. “You’re free to eat anything in my fridge  _ except  _ the beer.”

“Yes, Yes, Master. I heard you the first few times.” Youngjae answered, sounding exasperated.

For someone who cried because he thought Jaebum was missing, Youngjae sounded extremely fine about Jaebum leaving for his classes. It makes Jaebum wary, but he also should have left five minutes ago so he tries not to dwell on it.

Opening the door he bid a, “I’m going now.” Then he was running towards the elevator, glad that he made it.

After a moment’s thought, he messaged his neighbour Jinyoung to watch out for his apartment please and make sure no one enters or leaves it until he gets back. He knew he was bound to receive tons of questions later, but he was glad when his neighbour only answered a _ sure  _ without asking anything.

Jaebum cursed when he realized he had to run to the bus stop if he wanted to ride the right one.

 

With the exam and the dance practice exhausting him, Jaebum almost forgot about what--who was waiting for him at home. So when he opened his door to find Youngjae sitting near the door and looking at him with a smile, Jaebum almost turns right out and check if he got the right door.

“Welcome home, Master!” Youngjae greeted, giggling. He looks freshly bathed and is wearing one of Jaebum’s hoodie and sweatpants. His hair was a little wet, but his tail was wagging behind him just the same.

“Hi, Youngjae.” Jaebum returned the smile, closing the door from the prying eyes of his neighbours (i.e. Jinyoung who just came out of his door). “How was your day?”

Youngjae stood up and followed Jaebum back to the living room which was surprisingly cleaner than when he left it that morning. He sat on the couch, the same spot he sat on earlier and is probably his self-proclaimed place.

“Did you eat yet? I was just going to cook ramen.” Jaebum asked, suddenly feeling guilty. He forgot he had an extra mouth to feed and on that subject,  _ why  _ does he have an extra mouth to feed again?

“Yeah. I ate an apple. I’m not hungry anymore, just tired.” Youngjae smiles, not as bright as it was earlier. And the sudden droop of his lips and the way his eyes dimmed has Jaebum worried.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jaebum asked, taking the seat beside Youngjae. “Come on, tell me.”

Youngjae looked wary, his tail hitting the couch hard and he was obviously  _ nervous  _ with the way he was biting his lip and his ears twitching. “Are you going to send me home now?” he asked timidly, as if he already knew the answer.

This caused Jaebum to blink, confused. When did he ever tell Youngjae he was going to send him away? True he doesn’t think he can keep Youngjae because other than the fact that Jaebum was a College student living on his parent’s money, he was a cat person and Youngjae was definitely not a cat.

_ Oh.  _ Right.  _ Oh _ .

“You don’t like dogs, do you?” Youngjae asked, confirming Jaebum’s suspicions as he looked over at the picture frames of the him and Nora when he was still in High School. “And I’m a dog.”

Jaebum didn’t know what to say. “Youngjae… that’s not…” he trailed off.

“My old family abandoned me on the road yesterday. We-- _ They  _ were moving and I was in the car with them. Then suddenly we stopped near here, a neighbourhood I wasn’t familiar with and they asked me to get off to get something from the trunk of the car…” Youngjae wasn’t looking at Jaebum while he was talking, staring right at the photos of Nora as he played with his fingers. “Then when I got off they locked the door and sped away.”

When Youngjae hasn’t spoken again, Jaebum thought the boy was probably already done. So he asked, “Just like that?” He could feel anger bubbling in his throat, angry at the family and sadness for the boy that was thrust into a world he had no idea of. He tried not to think what would’ve happened if it wasn’t Jaebum that picked him up last night.

“Just like that.” the boy repeated, sounding helpless. He finally looked at Jaebum’s way. “If you want me gone, just tell me? You just need to tell me and I promise I won’t cling and I’ll leave you. Please?”

Jaebum wanted to say he wouldn’t abandon Youngjae, that he promises not to let him sleep on the road ever again and he will always have a roof on his head and food in his mouth. But the thing is, Jaebum isn’t so sure he  _ can  _ keep Youngjae. So he reaches over and wraps the boy in a tight hug, just thankful that even though Youngjae may be a lost boy, it was Jaebum that found him.

They’ll make it work somehow.

 

Having an extra mouth to feed didn’t turn out to be a big deal because his parents were only too happy to send Jaebum extra money for Youngjae’s use. The thing is, in a simple explanation, Youngjae is a  _ charmer _ . He had Jaebum’s parents wrapped around his fingers the moment they made a surprise visit at Jaebum’s apartment.

“Son, you should’ve just told me you needed money. Youngjae here is a growing boy. He needs food.” his Mom scolded him as she handed him money, supposedly for Youngjae’s clothes because  _ the boy can’t wear your clothes all the time! He needs something that fits him! _

And his Dad, even his Dad approves because Youngjae was such a gentleman and made him laugh numerous of times. He told Jaebum to take care of Youngjae and bring him around for the Holidays. Jaebum promised, but he wasn’t sure he was going to go through it.

“Bye, Auntie and Uncle!” Youngjae had excitedly waved goodbye, sending them off on a taxi while Jaebum watched from the side, looking at him fondly. When the taxi was already out of sight, he turned to Jaebum. “Did I do well, hyung?”

“You did amazing.” Jaebum assured him, just the exact truth. He hasn’t seen his Mom and Dad enarmed so quickly to anyone else. Youngjae just has that effect at everyone. ‘Come on, let’s check what food they left for us.”

They walked up at Jaebum’s apartment, chatting about the plans for the evening. It feels as if he’s done this his whole life, sharing everything with Youngjae but the truth is that it’s only been a month.

It’s been a month and he still hasn’t told Youngjae that he wants to keep him for real. That Jaebum wants him to  _ stay _ .

But as Youngjae crawls to his spot on the couch, flipping on the television, Jaebum thinks that maybe he didn’t need to say it out loud.

 

“You forgot your bag, hyung. How could you forget your bag?” Youngjae rolled his eyes, handing over the bag to Jaebum who looked relieved to see him. He was bundled up in a thick scarf and Jaebum’s favorite coat. His hair and ears were covered by a beanie that Jaebum  _ also  _ owns. He looked adorable, basically.

“Oh Youngjae,” Jaebum clutched on his bag with a breathe of relief because if he had to go back to the apartment to pick his bag again, he would’ve missed the bus and would be late. He wasn’t supposed to be late. “Thanks, Jae. What would I have done without you?”

Youngjae’s bright smile faded a little as the boy stuffed his hands in the coat’s pocket. “I don’t know, hyung. Maybe you’ll find out, huh?” he said before turning around and jogging back to the direction of their apartment ( _ their _ ).

Jaebum wanted to run after him, to ask what was wrong and maybe wrap him a warm hug. But he  _ was  _ going to be late and Youngjae wouldn’t want that, most definitely would not approve of him being the reason for Jaebum missing a class. So filing the question for later, he gets on the bus and tries not to get distracted or he might miss his stop again.

 

Jinyoung looked at him blankly and announced, “You’re dumb.”

“Wow thanks so very much for your support.” Jaebum rolled his eyes, unsuccessfully trying to steal a piece of chicken from Jinyoung’s lunch. “I ask you seriously and all you have to say is I’m dumb?”

Using his chopsticks to spear Jaebum’s grabby hands away from his food, Jinyoung answers without a heartbeat, “You’re dumb. You really really are, hyung. How could Youngjae be stuck with someone like you?”

That was a little offending and Jaebum could only glare at the other man. “You’re useless.” he returned to his own plate, stabbing a kimchi to eat it up. Too bland, he likes the one Youngjae makes better. “Can you stop insulting me and  _ tell  _ me?”

Sighing, Jinyoung puts his chopsticks down to stare at Jaebum. “Hyung, how long have you had Youngjae with you?” he asked, as if he didn’t know the answer. “Just be honest. Don’t pull anything on me or else I’m going to walk out right now.”

“A month and a few days, give or take.” Jaebum answered. It really is just easier to go along with what Jinyoung wants.

Jaebum looked a little pleased that Jaebum was following his instructions. Waving his hand he followed it with, “You found Youngjae because…?”

“His old family abandoned him.” Jaebum knew that Jinyoung knows this. He hopes that his friend is actually going somewhere with this because he doesn’t have any idea. “He was sleeping on doorstep of my apartment and looked lost. So I gave him a place to stay for the night.”

“And ever since then, have you ever told him you’re not going to…” Jinyoung paused, being as dramatic as ever, “abandon him too?”

“I would never!” Jaebum looked slightly offended again, as if the idea was preposterous and hasn’t crossed his mind before. Although to be honest, the last time it crossed his mind was during the first week of Youngjae’s stay when he realized why he didn’t like dogs at all--they’re a little more clingy than cats are and needed constant attention. That was the last time, the very last time.

But something on his face must’ve given away because Jinyoung looked smug and pitying at the same time. It was confusing. “You need to tell Youngjae that you’re not going to suddenly abandon him, hyung.” The last part was said softly, a little nicer than his usual words.

“Okay, I will.” Because what else is Jaebum supposed to do anyway, right?

Except.  _ How _ ?

 

Armed with their favorite chicken (well, more of Jaebum’s but Youngjae swears he also like this chicken), a box of pizza and two cups of Americano, Jaebum enters their apartment to find Youngjae asleep on the couch with  _ Pitch Perfect  _ playing on the television. Jaebum found it endearing, the way Youngjae’s ears twitch a little and the way he curls around himself.

He thought he’d give Youngjae a few more minutes of sleep as he prepares the food on their coffee table instead of in their dining room. He quietly laid the chopsticks and spoon, also tissues for the pizza grease. When he was done, he kneeled by Youngjae’s head and shook the boy.

“Hey, Jae, let’s eat dinner.” Jaebum shook him a few more times before Youngjae’s eyes opened and stared straight at him. He smiled when the boy blinked a few more times, looking confused. “Come on, I brought dinner.”

Helping Youngjae sit up and take the spot he just vacated, he let the boy pad towards the bathroom to wash his face and hands. When he came back, he immediately grabbed a slice of pizza and take his favorite place on their couch ( _ their _ ).

They ate their dinner like that for a few minutes, the sounds of the Bellas singing their hearts out. But when the film ended and the ending credits rolled, Jaebum put down his cup of Americano to face Youngjae.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Jaebum said, calming his voice so he wouldn’t sound too eager and excited because he  _ is _ . So he looks at Youngjae directly, but was surprised to find the boy looking at him as if… he looks… he looks scared. There was nothing else beside that, Youngjae looks scared. “Youngjae?”

By this, Youngjae couldn’t stop himself and let the tears fall. He tried to stopping them, brushing them off with the back of his hand. “I-I’m sorry. I thought I prepared myself enough for this day but--” Youngjae sniffed, his shoulders shaking. “I’ll be gone by tomorrow, I promise. But can I stay here for the night?”

Blinking, Jaebum didn’t even waste another second before he crossed the space between them to wrap Youngjae in his arms. The boy was still shaking and the tears keeps on falling that Jaebum feels  _ so bad  _ because this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. But it’ll be fine. He’ll make it okay. Youngjae won’t need to question himself anymore.

“No, no, Youngjae,” Jaebum laid his chin on Youngjae’s head in what he hopes was comforting. “I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay with me. Permanently. Jae, stop crying, please?”

Youngjae moves his head, fights with Jaebum’s hold on him so he could look up and at Jaebum. He was red in the face, tears staining his cheeks and eyes watery still. His ears were pulled down and he honestly still looks  _ perfect _ . As if Jaebum could ever let him go.

“You promise?” he asked, voice small and his tail finally wagging a little as if a little hopeful.

Jaebum can’t believe Youngjae still has to ask. Doesn’t understand why. But he still answers, “I promise.” Because Jaebum owed Youngjae as much.


End file.
